Seriously, is there anything better than caramelized sugar? Ok, maybe caramelized sugar, a stick of butter, lightly toasted almonds, and a glorious robe of melted chocolate. Heaven help me, this stuff is amazing!

Seriously, is there anything better than caramelized sugar? Ok, maybe caramelized sugar, a stick of butter, lightly toasted almonds, and a glorious robe of melted chocolate. Heaven help me, this stuff is amazing!

Kidding aside (we’ve got lots of wonderful men here), today we’ll get to know John, otherwise known here as patiodaddio. As you may have guessed from his username, John is a grilling pro. No, really. He’s an actual professional, a member of the Kansas City Barbeque Society. With a mess of awards and everything. Which makes it all the more special when he shares his grill recipes with all of us, like the Classic BBQ Chicken Drumsticks that you see above.

John is pretty much as nice as they come. When interviewed for this post, he was almost embarrassed to talk about himself. In his blog, Patio Daddio BBQ, he describes himself as “a Christian, a husband, the father of three young girls, a USAF (United States Air Force) veteran, and an amateur cook living in Boise, Idaho.” His passion is good, hearty rustic food, and he sees food as a way of giving a little of himself to those for whom he cooks. He says, “It’s a gift on a plate. There a few things in life more intimate than sharing a meal.”

All together now: Awwww …

Okay, now that we’ve made John blush, let’s talk about his food. His recipe box is full of mouth-watering goodies. If you were expecting it to be an all-grilling collection, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. For example, would you have thought you’d find a simple yet elegant dessert in there?

These Braised Nectarines with Champagne Honey Caramel are just a hint of the great variety of recipes in his collection. He’s got salads, sandwiches, pasta, soups, snacks … although right now, there are no seafood recipes in there. As you’ll see later, John confesses that they’re not his favorite thing. But he’s making small steps in that direction. (We’re cheering you on, John!)

John also has a crock pot recipe. This is his Fairly Simple Beef Stew, and he promises that the canned ingredients in it minimize the fuss but won’t compromise the flavor.

Speaking of flavor, take a look at these short ribs.

These Hungarian Braised Short Ribs have sweet Hungarian paprika, shallots, red wine, tomatoes … and he shows us the word nerd side of him by describing it as “unctuous.”

Of course, if you’re looking for recipes for the grill from this master, he’s got those too. Don’t be put off by the title Rattlesnake Tails. There are no snakes involved. They’re Anaheim peppers stuffed with ground meat and spicy sausage, wrapped in bacon, and glazed in a sticky, sweet sauce.

As further proof of what a nice guy he is, John even shares with us a basic all-around barbeque seasoning recipe.

This All Purpose BBQ Seasoning is very close to what he uses in competition cooking. And considering the fact that the word “competition” is there, it was pretty swell of him to share it with us. By the way, he also has a Homemade Hot Sauce recipe, which may come in handy for those making plans for Sunday’s big game.

So let’s get to the interview part of this feature, where we ask all sorts of questions and “grill” John. (Sorry, it was bound to happen.)

Q: What do you enjoy most about cooking?A: I love the creativity, the opportunity to share a piece of me, and making people happy. As I mentioned earlier, I really do think that cooking good food for people you love is one of the best things in life. I don’t know what I love more, the cooking, or the sharing; of course, one begets the other.

Q: Any favorite chefs or food celebrities? Who inspires you?A: As a kid I was clearly inspired by my mother and my maternal grandparents. My mother was a master of “doctoring up.” She was a working mom of three, so dinner had to be prepared quickly. I remember watching her take otherwise mundane ingredients and creating great homey dishes. My grandmother inspired me with great rustic old-school dishes like sauerkraut and pork and spaghetti. Not surprisingly, those are two meals that I could eat for the rest of my life. My grandfather was the grilling inspiration. I remember spending innumerable hours out in his backyard watching him grill. My favorite was his barbecued chicken and, ironically, that’s my favorite thing to barbecue. He also made killer chili, which is another favorite of mine.

These days I am inspired by Mario Batali, Michael Symon, Tyler Florence and Adam Perry Lang.

Q: What’s your most memorable kitchen flop ever?A: Shrimp! I know this is foodie blasphemy, but I don’t like seafood. I love fish, but like I often say, “If it comes in a shell and it’s not an egg, I ain’t eatin’ it.” I also tell my daughters that that’s why I could never be a chef. A chef who didn’t like seafood wouldn’t last very long.

Very early in our marriage I decided I would try my hand at shrimp. My wife likes it and I saw it as an opportunity to learn, and of course also as an effort to impress her. Well, let’s just say that the results were far less than impressive. I didn’t know you had to de-vein the shrimp first. Big mistake! I have only cooked shellfish one other time since.

Q: What gives you the most trouble in the kitchen?A: Baking is a skill that I avoid because it intimidates me for some reason. I really need to work on that. Oh, and I also clearly need to work on my seafood skills. I ate a fried shrimp recently, so it’s a start.

Q: Give us one of your favorite kitchen tips that you wish you’d always known.A: Did you know that there are little tabs on the ends of the aluminum foil box that keeps the roll from popping out? Yep! Check it out and thank me later.

_______________________________________

Thanks for being a sport and answering our questions, John! May your pantry always be stocked with onions and garlic (he panics when he’s out of them).

If you want to know more about John, head over to his blog, Patio Daddio BBQ, where he promises “musings of barbeque, cooking, and life—served hot, fresh, and saucy.”

My husband will be one slap-happy dude when I make that homemade hot sauce for him.

Thanks Patio Daddio John.

stephanieon 2.3.2010

i still, at 26, call my dad ‘daddy-o’ too

my mom can cook when she wants to (and since forever makes our pasta sauce from scratch and freezes it so we never have to buy the jarred junk – sugar?! omg! heh.) but otherwise my dad is the one to do all the food stuff. when we are home with my mom and my dad has to teach nights (he works a third job doing SAT prep for highschool kids) we always joke that we’ll be having mac and cheese from the box and hot dogs that night.

I hate to sound like a know it all, but I did know about the wrap tabs…and have told several people.
I like the name..my son calls my husband (his dad) daddio…you don’t hear it often and it’s something he came up with himself.
Can’t wait to try some recipes and it’s good to see that it’s not all women on here!!

Mama Duckon 2.2.2010

I plan on trying your bbq chicken recipe whenever we thaw out and can use the grill again.

I think my last box of foil was missing those tabs. It’s always popping out.

Sabrina Reinharton 2.2.2010

I CANNOT BELIEVE IT!!! and yes I’m shoutin’, sorry. Like most other readers I just ran down to my kitchen to check it out – and there are tabs – I even held the box upside down and it didn’t fall out! Not to mention the little tabs on the front to hold the lid closed that I never noticed. Wow, you learn something new everyday.
I can’t wait to try your short ribs.
Sabrina

Greetings from the very very far south! South Africa to be precise!
Since having a barbeque (or as we call it here a Braai) is part of our culture, I am sure gonna try out your recipes. Please take a stab at my Sosatie (kebab) recipe. It’s an ethnic dish over here, and yes – it requires a barbeque!

Cindyon 2.1.2010

John, I just put this bit of wisdom on my facebook status and have a dozen people who didn’t know either!

*whew* now I don’t feel quite as lame as I thought I might…

And you most certainly may put that on your CV! Although I am sure my mother will tell me, “well of course you push the tabs in, but I only use the industrial size in a special cutter, so I don’ t have to worry about it.” (oh my god, I just channeled my mother…)

Pam Pon 2.1.2010

OH MY GOD! I just ran back to the computer after finding the tabs on the ends of my aluminum foil. How could I not know this?? I feel a bit lightheaded…

*My mother is a professional chef and graduate of the Culinary Institute of America. I have stood at her side, both professionally and personally, in the kitchen and I don’t think she knows this and if she did, she didn’t say a word

* I managed restaurants for 17 years and did not know this

* I have used approximately 17,000 miles of aluminum foil just in my home kitchen and I did not know this.

how did I not know this??
John, you are a gift from above, my friend and I am calling everyone I know and telling them about the tabs and if one of them says, “oh yea! you didn’t know that?” I will not be held responsible for my actions or the variety and color of words that will spew forth.

Hey John, so nice to meet you. I have been looking for some good cuttin’ knives without breaking the bank. Thanks for your review. I can’t wait to receive them. Love your site….many wonderful sounding recipes. You are now one of my favorites!! XOXO Teresa

Wendy Buffoneon 2.1.2010

Wow! Those drumsticks have me drooling on a full stomach–that’s saying something! I do the grilling in the house but am no pro. Sounds like I definitely need to check out John’s recipes. Someone’s got to do the grilling around here!

Jeretta J. Aldridgeon 2.1.2010

Thanks for the recipes andthe BBQ seasoning. Next year at elk camp the food is going to ROCK thanks to PW and you !!! One of the hunters is from “Loosiana” in the bayous and I’m going to have fun with this . Can’t wait to try it out.

Hi John,
Nice interview…I’m a new member to TK and I was quickly drawn to your recipes! My family and I live in Nampa ID and my husband and I would love to get into competitive BBQ …I never hear of BBQ competitions going on in our valley? PS Looking forward to using the aluminum foil box tip lol!

I am so flattered and blessed that I don’t really know what to say. It’s truly an honor to be profiled, and I thank the TK folks profusely. Nanci and Erika are a complete joy to work with, and I am a big fan of Ree’s cooking and food photography.

Thanks for all of the very kind comments. It’s a true labor of love. You keep reading and I’ll keep cooking.

Looking forward to checking out your blog! I plan to make the new years stew soon! And yes, I did know about the little tabs on the foil and plastic wrap boxes (even though i just learned about the in the last couple of years!)!

Glad there are some serious grill dudes on here. Looking forward to trying that BBQ seasoning… once the two feet of snow melts off my grill.

Margo/MSbHospitalityon 2.1.2010

Nice to meet you John! Your interview was very revealing and most interesting…. a guy who has the heart of his grandmother, the experience that Air Force life gives one and a caring husband and father!
I gathered all the ingredients for your Rattlesnake Tails, but used up bits and pieces of thme before I actually made the tails! LOL! I must do something about that…
Thanks for sharing your food passion with us!